Wicca Spirit Newsletter Crafts, Sponsors, Book of Shadows

Text Box: Crafts for home, garden, Sabbats and anything else that may appeal to the Wiccan heart. Each issue will offer a new craft idea with complete instructions on how to make it. And, as always, YOUR craft ideas are welcome. Share your crafty know-how with our readers in a step-by-stop approach. Send your craft articles to us … Click Here _____ Making Rose Petal Beads This is a complex process but the result is truly worth it. These are some of the most beautiful and magickal beads... very nice look and a sweet, floral scent! You will need:
2-3 quarts clean rose petals Large stainless steel pot Water Blender or food processor Jelly bag or cheesecloth Iron pot or skillet Rubber gloves Tray Newspapers Paper towels Rose essential oil Plastic containers with tight fitting lids 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon 3/64th inch wide brass wire, cut into 12 inch lengths Empty small box or Styrofoam tray Glass jars with lids Fine sandpaper Unwaxed dental floss An assortment of other kinds of beads, if desired. MAKING THE MASH: Place the rose petals in the stainless steel pot with water to cover, about one quart. Bring the contents to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer slowly for 2 to 6 hours, stirring occasionally. You can cook the petals all day or cook them for a while one day, turn off the heat, and finish up the next day. The longer you cook the

Text Box: petals, the more the cellulose breaks down and the easier the job of pureeing the mash. In the blender or food processor, puree the cooled mash in batches. Add just enough extra water to each batch to enable the machine to puree it thoroughly at the highest speed. The finer the mash, the smoother and more uniform the bead. Drainthe mash through the jelly bag or cheesecloth to remove any excess water. SLOW COOKING: Place the drained, pureed mash into the iron pot or skillet. When the mash is cooked in iron, a chemical reaction of the acid in the petals with the iron turns it black. (Once the mash turns black, it badly stains what ever it touched, so wear rubber gloves and old clothes when working with it.) Because the mash will remove the patina from an iron pot, use an old one. Cook the mash, covered, over the lowest heat possible, stirring occasionally, for 2 or 3 days, or until it is black and the consistency of soft cream cheese. You can cook it for a few hours, turn it off, and finish cooking it later. Keep it covered to prevent a crust from forming. The mash can also be baked, covered, at 250F for 1 to 2 days. COOLING, DRAINING: Layer the tray thickly with newspapers and cover with a layer of paper towels. (The mash will stick to newspaper but not to paper towels.) Turn the mash out to cool on the prepared tray, and cover it with another layer of paper towels. Let it drain. Change the newspaper padding when the mash has soaked through; this can take a few hours or overnight and may need to be done two or three times. Add a few drops of rose essence to the mash - 6 or 7 drops to one cup mash - and knead it in. You can make beads now or store the mash. To store, pack the mash into plastic containers with tight fitting lids and refrigerate for as long as a week or freeze for a few months. The mash can be thawed and refrozen as necessary. ROLLING: For each bead, measure out a slightly rounded 1/2 teaspoon of mash: the bead will shrink to about

Text Box: one-third its original size as it dries. Wearing gloves, knead each piece of mash in the palm of your hand to make sure it is smooth. With firm, even pressure, roll each bead between your palms until it is round. If the bead shows any cracks while you are rolling, dip the beads in a little water or rubbing alcohol and smooth them out, as the cracks will become bigger as the beads dry. DRYING: Carefully slide the beads onto wires to dry. The wire should pierce the center of each bead. Use brass wire because it does not rust. Place ten beads on 12-inches of wire, making sure that the beads do not touch each other. Lay the wires across the empty box or styrofoam tray so that the beads are suspended and do not touch the bottom of the container. Keep the beads at room temperature and away from any drafts. If the beads dry too fast, they will crack; if it is cold or damp, they may mold. During the first week, turn the beads daily, sliding them back and forth a little on the wire to keep them from sticking. Leave the beads on the wire for another week or two, or until they are completely dry. Remove the beads from the wires and store them in tightly covered glass jars, which help retain their perfume until you are ready to string them. After removing a batch of rose beads, sand the wires with fine sandpaper to smooth them in preparation for the next batch. FINISHING: Bead onto double strands of unwaxed dental floss. You can use small gold beads as spacers, or if you are talented in special bead crafting, you can make more complicated bead arrangements for rosaries and the sort.

Text Box: God or Goddess long before they become part of a coven. This is a good place to write out who you are dedicating yourself to, and why. This can be a lengthy essay, or it can be as simple as saying, “I, Willow, dedicate myself to the Goddess today, June 21, 2007.” Gods and Goddesses: Depending on what pantheon or tradition you follow, you may have a single God and Goddess, or a number of them. Your BOS is a good place to keep legends and myths and even artwork concerning your Deity. If your practice is an eclectic blend of different spiritual paths, it’s a good idea to include that here. Correspondence tables: When it comes to spellcasting, correspondence tables are one of your most important tools. Phases of the moon, herbs, stones and crystals, colors – all have different meanings and purposes. Keeping a chart of some sort in your BOS guarantees that this information will be at the ready when you really need it. If you have access to a good almanac, it’s not a bad idea to record a years’ worth of moon phases by date in your BOS. Sabbat rituals: The Wheel of the Year includes eight holidays for most Wiccans and Pagans, although some traditions do not celebrate all of them. Your BOS can include rituals for each of the Sabbats. For example, for Samhain you may wish to create a rite that honors your ancestors and celebrates the end of the harvest, while for Yule you may want to write down a celebration of the winter Solstice. A Sabbat celebration can be as simple or complex as you wish. Other rituals: If you’ll be celebrating each full moon, you’ll want to include an Esbat rite in your BOS. You can use the same one each month, or create several different ones tailored to the time of year. You may also wish to include sections on how to cast a circle and Drawing Down the Moon, a rite that celebrates the invoking of the Goddess at the time of the full moon. If you’ll be doing any rites for healing, prosperity, protection, or other purposes, be sure to include them here. Herbs: Ask any experienced Pagan or Wiccan about a specific herb, and chances are good that they’ll expound on not only the magical uses of the plant but also the healing properties and history of use. Herbs are often considered the core of spellcasting, because they’re an ingredient that people have used for literally thousands of years. Put together a section in your BOS for herbs and their uses. Remember, many herbs should not be ingested, so it’s important to research thoroughly before you take anything internally. Divination: If you’re learning about Tarot, scrying, astrology, or any other form of divination, keep information in here. When you experiment with new methods of divination, keep a

Text Box: How To Make a Book of Shadows By Patti Wigington Reprinted here with permission The Book of Shadows (BOS) is used to store information you'll need in your magical tradition. Many Pagans and Wiccans feel a BOS should be handwritten, but some use a computer to store information as well. Bear in mind that a BOS is considered a sacred tool, which means it is an item of power that should be consecrated with all of your other magical tools. Copy spells and rituals into your BOS by hand – this will not only transfer energy to the writer, but it also helps you to memorize the contents. Make sure you write legibly enough that you’ll be able to read your notes during a ritual! Here's How to Make a Book of Shadows: To make your Book of Shadows, begin with a blank notebook. A popular method is to use a three-ring binder so items can be added and rearranged as needed. If you use this style of BOS, you can use sheet protectors as well, which is great for preventing candle wax and other ritual drippings from getting on the pages! Whatever you select, your title page should include your name. Make it fancy or simple, depending on your preference, but remember that the BOS is a magical object and should be treated accordingly. Many witches simply write, “The Book of Shadows of [your name]” on the front page. What format should you use? Some witches are known to create elaborate Books of Shadows in secret, magical alphabets. Unless you’re fluent enough in one of these systems that you can read it without having to check notes or a chart, stick with your native language. While a spell looks beautiful written out in flowing Elvish script or Klingon lettering, the fact is that it’s just hard to read unless you’re an Elf or a Klingon. When it comes to the contents of your personal BOS, there are a few sections that are nearly universally included. Laws of your coven or tradition: Believe it or not, magic has rules. While they may vary from group to group, it’s a really good idea to keep them at the front of your BOS as a reminder of what constitutes acceptable behavior and what doesn’t. If you’re part of an eclectic tradition that doesn’t have written rules, or if you’re a solitary witch, this is a good place to write down what YOU think are acceptable rules of magic. After all, if you don’t set yourself some guidelines, how will you know when you’ve crossed over them? This may include a variation on the Wiccan Rede, or some similar concept. A dedication: If you’ve been initiated into a coven, you may want to include a copy of your initiation ceremony here. However, many Wiccans dedicate themselves to a

Text Box: record of what you do and results you see in your Book of Shadows. Sacred texts: While it’s fun to have a bunch of new shiny books on Wicca and Paganism to read, sometimes it’s just as nice to have information that’s a little more established. If there is a certain text that appeals to you, such as The Charge of the Goddess, an old prayer in an archaic language, or a particular chant that moves you, include it in your Book of Shadows. Magical recipes: There’s a lot to be said for “kitchen witchery,” because for many people, the kitchen is the center of hearth and home. As you collect recipes for oils, incense, or herb blends, keep them in your BOS. You may even want to include a section of food recipes for Sabbat celebrations. Spell workings: Some people prefer to keep their spells in a separate book called a grimoire, but you can also keep them in your Book of Shadows. It’s easier to keep spells organized if you divide them up by purpose: prosperity, protection, healing, etc. With each spell you include, make sure you also leave room to include information on when the working was performed and what the outcome was. The biggest dilemma with any Book of Shadows is how to keep it organized. You can use tabbed dividers, create an index at the back, or if you’re really super-organized, a table of contents in the front. As you study and learn more, you’ll have more information to include – this is why the three-ring binder is such a practical idea. Some people choose instead to use a simple bound notebook, and just add to the back of it as they discover new items. You may want to use one notebook for information copied from books or downloaded off the Internet, and another for original creations. Regardless, find the method that works best for you, and take good care of your Book of Shadows. After all, it’s a sacred object and should be treated accordingly! Tips: If you find a rite, spell or piece of information somewhere else, be sure to note down the source. It will help you keep organized, and you'll start to recognize patterns in authors' works. Add a section that includes books you've read, as well as what you thought of them. This way, when you get a chance to share information with others, you'll remember what you've read. What You Need: Notebook or binder Pens and Paper Sheet protectors (optional) _____ New information for your BOS in each and every issue…. Send us YOUR favorite methods and practices…Click Here

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